THE BEST OF INTIMA – 02/2010 - 120

The Guest

How do you see the local swimwear market?

JX: We’ve been carrying swimwear since 2004, it’s unusual for department stores to do that around here so it’s become Jiu Guang’s specialty for the summer. Customers first think of coming to Jiu Guang for swimwear purchases to check out the new brands and collections available for the upcoming season. The majority of brands at Jiu Guang are Japanese with prices ranging from 300 RMB (approx. $40) to 1500 RMB (approx. $190). SM: Very few stores in Shanghai carry swimwear simply because the demand for it is small. There are almost no beaches around the city and very few swimming pools open to the public, so the population has no opportunity to wear swimsuits. As a result, the manufacturers don’t care much for swimwear and keep on selling old fashioned products.
Do you expect a significant growth in the swimwear segment?

... IT WAS OUR ATTEMPT
TO PRESENT A DISTINCTIVE LINGERIE AREA

WITH FRESH NEW BRANDS
THAT WERE NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE

ELSE IN THE CITY ...

JX: We do expect some new developments in the future. Looking at the current market, we realize that women between the ages of 25 and 35 are very fond of trendy swimsuits, including bikinis, but they don’t have a purchasing power as strong as the 35 to 45 year old women who stick with their old fashion style swimsuits. As the new generations are aging, they will become the dominant consumer age group and will be able to afford trendy swimwear. We predict that bikinis and fashionable swimwear will soon be a leading product range on the market. That’s why we keep on offering products even though they are not the most promising sector right now. SM: The marketing campaign conducted in Japan have set a good example that will prove its success to the Chinese manufacturers. With the fabrics’ suppliers participation, Japanese swimwear brands took on an up and coming fashion model to represent the brand for the launching of its new collection. Having her as a spokesperson attracted media attention and it proved to be a good strategy to draw in public attention and help prompt the brand’s sales.
Hoe much do women spend on lingerie?

What do you expect your vendors to do to improve their sales?

SM: Above all, I wish we could see more fashion design! Some brands are already doing well in this sense and I want to see more brands give it a try. Also, we hope that our sales people can actively assist the customers to find their right size and fit. JX: Exactly! I wish we could see local brands work even harder to single out their target customers. Big companies definitely have a full product profile serving high and medium end markets. The business strategy must change according to the needs for long, medium and small size companies. We have found that some of our VIP clients come to the lingerie division regularly to check out if any new products are available. When there are new products that they like, they’ll buy it without hesitation, not out of need but for their shopping pleasure. The department store as a retailer is trying to categorize and sort out target customers all the time, and so I hope the brand owners will do the same to make their products fit their diverse type of customers as best as possible. That way, not only does the brand itself gain a competitive edge with its uniqueness, we would also prefer to grow with such brands to better serve the niche market.

Jiu Guang’s clients spend approximately 600 RMB to 800 RMB ( about $75 to $100 ) on each purchase.
What is your average turnover of intimate apparel in the peak seasons?

The brands available at Shanghai Jiu Guang store include:
Amphi, Charle, Embryform, Enweis, Intescre, Kid blue, La Clover, Lecien, Lofan, Salute, Triumph, Valisere, Wacoal, Innee and Private Shop. (Updated in April 2010)

JX: With the 13 brands currently present, the average turnover is over 2 million RMB per month (approx $254, 226). SM: We expect to stay on a rise!

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THE BEST OF INTIMA – 02/2010

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